Monitoring and control systems and methods

ABSTRACT

A system and a method for controlling and monitoring a system within a facility are disclosed. The system includes a facility component configured to include at least one control point configured to be disposed within a facility and to monitor and control at least one element of the system within the facility; a network component configured to be communicatively coupled to the facility component and configured to process information received from the at least one control point; a remote client component configured to be communicatively coupled to the network component and configured to provide monitoring and control of the facility via the network component and the facility component. The remote client component is configured to receive processed data from the network component and generate instructions to the control point via the network component.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/212,800 to Fata et al., filed Apr. 15, 2009, andentitled “Building Management System”, and U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/339,335 to Fata, filed Mar. 3, 2010, and entitled“Monitoring and Control Systems and Methods,” incorporates thedisclosure of the above-referenced applications herein by reference intheir entireties.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to communications systems and methods formonitoring and/or controlling a multitude of functionalities withinvarious facilities and/or buildings. More particularly, the presentinvention relates to communications systems and methods for remotelymonitoring and/or controlling a plurality of building functions relatingto various utility, security, maintenance, etc. systems within a singlebuilding and/or a plurality of buildings. Even more particularly, thepresent invention relates to communication systems and methods forremotely monitoring and controlling various functionalities, includingsensors, alarms, and/or other devices within a facility and/or aplurality of facilities

In some embodiments, the present invention relates to systems andmethods that can be configured to enable remote management of buildingsystems and sub-systems, such as HVAC, boilers, lighting, electricalsystems, security systems, and any other types of systems in a buildingand/or buildings. The present invention can be further configured toprovide a monitoring and command interface to any building system that,in some embodiments, can be configured to use LonTalk and/or Bacnetprotocols or any other protocols for communication.

2. Background

Today's buildings, whether residential, commercial, medical, orotherwise, are sustained through operation of various utility systems.Through operation of such systems electricity, heat, HVAC, water,lighting, security and other necessities are typically provided to thebuildings. Each system may include various electrical, mechanical, andhuman components that ensure proper operation of such system. Someconventional system are controlled by human operators and thus, requiremaintenance of staff on-site or on-call to control, maintain, andotherwise operate the systems. Others may be controlled automatically orthrough a combination of automatic and human control. Such systems forcebuilding owners to extend additional resources and costs in order tomaintain proper operation of these systems as well as account for anyhuman errors that may result in improper operation of the systems. Thismay be costly as one overlooked system malfunction can lead to a wholehost of problems that will need to be fixed.

Further, many conventional systems are not capable of remotelycontrolling multiple buildings having multiple building functionalitiesusing a single monitor-and-control device and be adaptable to variouscontrol interfaces that are used by the buildings and building owners.

Thus, there is a need to provide a system and a method for monitoringand controlling various functionalities within a facility/buildingand/or facilities/buildings using a single monitor-and-control device,where such monitoring and control functions are configured to beadaptable to various system and/or building environments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a system forcontrolling and monitoring a system within a facility. The systemincludes a facility component configured to include at least one controlpoint configured to be disposed within a facility and to monitor andcontrol at least one element of the system within the facility; anetwork component configured to be communicatively coupled to thefacility component and configured to process information received fromthe at least one control point; a remote client component configured tobe communicatively coupled to the network component and configured toprovide monitoring and control of the facility via the network componentand the facility component. The remote client component is configured toreceive processed data from the network component and generateinstructions to the control point via the network component.

In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a method forcontrolling and monitoring a system within a facility using acommunications system having a facility component configured to includeat least one control point configured to be disposed within a facilityand to monitor and control at least one element of the system within thefacility; a network component configured to be communicatively coupledto the facility component and configured to process information receivedfrom the at least one control point; a remote client componentconfigured to be communicatively coupled to the network component andconfigured to provide monitoring and control of the facility via thenetwork component and the facility component. The remote clientcomponent is configured to receive processed data from the networkcomponent and generate instructions to the control point via the networkcomponent. The method includes establishing communication between thesystem within the facility and the network component, establishingcommunication between the network component and the remote clientcomponent, receiving information from the user concerning operation ofthe system within the facility, using the network component and thefacility component, monitoring and controlling operation of the systemwithin the facility based on the received information.

In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a computer programproduct stored on a computer-readable medium, for use with a computerconfigured to monitor and control a system within a facility using acommunications system described above, the computer program productcomprising computer-readable instructions for causing the computer to:establish communication between the system within the facility and thenetwork component; establish communication between the network componentand the remote client component; receive information from the userconcerning operation of the system within the facility; using thenetwork component and the facility component, monitor and controloperation of the system within the facility based on the receivedinformation.

In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a system forcontrolling and monitoring a system within a facility. The systemincludes an access server configured to communicate with the facility, auser server configured to communicate with the access server and furtherconfigured to receive data from a user. Based on the processed receiveddata, the building access server is configured to monitor and controlthe system within the facility.

In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a method forcontrolling and monitoring a system within a facility using a systemhaving an access server configured to communicate with the facility, auser server configured to communicate with the access server and furtherconfigured to receive data from a user, based on the processed receiveddata, the building access server is configured to monitor and controlthe system within the facility. The method includes establishingcommunication between the system within the facility and the accessserver, establishing communication between the access server and theuser server, authenticating a user with the user server, receivinginformation from the user concerning operation of the system within thefacility, using the access server, monitoring and controlling operationof the system within the facility based on the received information.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical orfunctionally similar elements. Additionally, the left-most digit(s) of areference number identifies the drawing in which the reference numberfirst appears.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary facility communications/managementsystem, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates another exemplary building communication/managementsystem, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 3-7 illustrate exemplary client interfaces of the buildingcommunication/management system shown in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 8-11 illustrate exemplary service interfaces of the buildingcommunication/management system shown in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 12-17 illustrate various exemplary reference hierarchiespertaining to particular Client IDs of the buildingcommunication/management system shown in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 18-40 illustrate various application interfaces of thecommunications system shown in FIG. 1, according to some embodiments ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, the terms building and facility (alongwith their plural counterparts) will be used interchangeably and as canbe understood by one having ordinary skill in the art, will be giventheir broadest possible interpretation. For example, a building can be asingle-story one room facility or a multi-story multi-floor multi-roomfacility (and vice versa). Each such facility may have a single ormultiple systems and subsystems that are configured to provide variousfunctionality and/or functionalities that are used by the building(s).

In some embodiments, the present invention relates to communicationssystems and methods that allow users to communicate with buildings viacommunications network(s) or service(s). An exemplary communicationssystem includes a building or a plurality of buildings having aplurality of systems and/or subsystems (e.g., electrical, water, oil,gas, security, HVAC, heat, etc.) having various sensory/control devicescoupled to them that provide various data concerning their operation andconfigured to implement various monitor/control functions, therebyadjusting operation of such systems and/or subsystems; a user controldevice configured to allow a user to monitor/control operation of thesystems/subsystems through various communications equipment that can becoupled (whether mechanically, electrically, wirelessly, etc.) to thesensory/control device and/or the user control device.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary communications system 100, according tosome embodiments of the present invention. The communications system 100includes a building component 102, a network component 104, and a remoteclient component 106. The building component 102 is configured tocommunicatively coupled to the network component 104 and remote clientcomponent 106. The remote client component 106 is configured tocommunicate with the building component 102 via network component 104.As can be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art, other waysof arranging the communications system 100 are possible and the presentinvention is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 1.

The communications system 100 is configured to operate using thefollowing hierarchy of entities and their relationships (listed fromhighest point to lowest point):

-   -   Clients—clients with one or more buildings registered in the        communications system 100.    -   Users—staff or clients' staff with assigned roles within one of        the applications in the remote client component 106. In some        embodiments, users, as a group, may or may not include        individuals that may have assigned roles defined by the client's        control panel.    -   Sites—client-defined collections of their buildings. In some        embodiments, the relationship can be geographical, but it is not        limited in anyway, and client's buildings can be grouped into        sites in anyway a client may choose.    -   Buildings—a physical (or virtual) structure containing one or        more control points, e.g., an apartment building, a warehouse, a        hospital, a nursing home, a restaurant, a convention center, an        airport, an office building, or any other type of structure.    -   Systems—operational building control systems that can be defined        by a primary function, such as HVAC for heating and air        conditioning; access for ingress/egress points (i.e. doors,        garage doors, etc.); electrical for lighting, electricity, etc.;        and any other systems.    -   Zones—physically (or virtually) defined regions of a building        that contain one or more control points, e.g., first floor,        third floor east, basement, etc. Zones can be pre-defined by the        client or any other user or an entity installing the        communication system 100.    -   Groups—end-user-defined selection of control points, which can        be defined by each client and/or individual user.    -   Control Points—individual sensors or devices that monitor and/or        control various components of a building's systems/subsystems.

In some embodiments, the building component 102 can be configured toinclude a single building/facility and/or a plurality ofbuildings/facilities 110 (a, b, c) along with correspondingcommunications equipment and infrastructure that are configured tocommunicate with the network component 104. The network component 104can be configured to include various communications, infrastructure,and/or database components that are configured to provide variousfunctionalities, including but not limited to, communications, storage,reporting, operation, and any other components that are configured toprovide various functionalities for the system 100. The remote clientcomponent 106 can be configured to include various mobile applications152 and/or web applications 154 (or any other applications) that can beconfigured to provide a user with an ability to monitor and controlvarious buildings/facilities in the building component 102. Thefollowing is a more detailed description of the components 102, 104, and106, their constituents, and operation of the system 100.

As stated above, the communications system 100 is configured to allowusers to monitor, control and/or manage a wide range of buildingfunctionalities through a web interface or via mobile devices, which areshown in the remote client component 106. For example, in someembodiments, the user(s) can remotely manage HVAC, access, security,lighting, electrical, heat, and other systems through the remote clientcomponent 106. In some embodiments, the remote client component's mobileapplications 152 can be configured to include Apple's iPhoneapplication, Verizon Wireless' Android application, Blackberryapplication, and/or any other type of wireless device application. Insome embodiments, the remote client component's web application's 154can be configured to include a PC console, an Administrator console, aplatform manager console and can be configured to be operated from apersonal computer (that can include a monitor, a processor, a keyboard,a mouse, and/or any other components). As can be understood by onehaving ordinary skill in the art, the present invention is not limitedto the above-referenced remote client components and can include anysuitable device, including but not limited to, PC, telephone, wirelesstelephone, blackberry, smartphone, iPod, iPhone, iPad, Palm device,touchscreen device, or any other desired device.

As can be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art, thenetwork component 104 can be configured to be any network, including butnot limited to, local area network (“LAN”), metropolitan area network(“MAN”), wide area network (“WAN”), Internet, extranet, intranet, or anyother local and/or remote type network that can be configured to operatein accordance with design features of the communication system 100. Insome embodiments, the network component 104 can be configured to operateand/or reside outside the building component 102 and/or the remoteclient component 106. Further, in some embodiments, the networkcomponent 104 can be also configured to include computational elementsof the system as well as end-user applications/interfaces, such as, webinterface(s) and/or application(s) on a mobile device for connecting tothe communications system 100.

Referring to FIG. 1, various components of system 100 are configured tocommunicate with one another as well as exchange various data, commands,signals, etc. The data exchange between the components occurs in an“upstream” and “downstream” fashion. In some embodiments, “upstream”communication implies data, signals, and/or commands that are configuredto flow up to or along a communication path (whether wired or wireless)toward a building/facility; “downstream” communication implies data,signals, and/or commands that are configured to flow down to or along acommunication path (whether wired or wireless) toward a user and/or anobject or a component in the network component 104. As can be understoodby one having ordinary skill in the art, the communications betweencomponents in the system 100 can be upstream, downstream, and/orupstream/downstream. Elements of various components can be configured tobe controlled by the user, system 100, components 102, 104, 106 and/orvarious combinations thereof.

As shown in FIG. 1, the building component 102 is configured to includeat least one building 110 (a, b, c). Each building 110 includes controlpoints 114 and control panels 112. Each control point represents acommunication device (e.g., a sensor, a detector, etc.) that is coupledto or represents an element of or an actual particular system within abuilding, such as, electrical, lighting, heat, oil, gas, HVAC, security,etc. Control panels 112 are configured to communicate with controlpoints 114 to receive/transmit data from/to the control points 114. Forexample, a control point 114 can be a sensor installed on a boiler'stemperature gauge and can be configured to transmit temperature of hotwater within the boiler whereas another control point can be installedon a burner ignition that is configured to receive a command to turn onthe ignition if the water temperature within the boiler falls below apredetermined threshold. As can be understood by one skilled in the artother types of control points and respective communications can beprovided. The building component 102 further includes a router 116, abuilding server 118, and a control server 120. These components areconfigured to be communicatively coupled to one another as well asvarious elements within the network component 104 and elements of thebuildings 110. In some embodiments, each building 110 can be configuredto have a separate router 116, building server 118, and control server120. In alternate embodiments, a single router 116, a single buildingserver 118, and a single server 120 can be configured to control a atleast one or a plurality of buildings 110.

Prior to communications system 100 becoming operational, control points114 and control panel 112 are installed in the various identifiedutility, security, or other systems located within buildings. Thecontrol points are configured to be installed at any point within theidentified building system that the user desires to control (e.g.,lighting, door open/close alarm, boiler, thermostat, etc.). As can beunderstood by one having ordinary skill in the art, each identifiedsystem can be configured to have a plurality of control points disposedat various locations within the system and/or several control points canbe disposed at one location in the identified system and configured tomeasure, detect, sense, read, etc. various data associated with thelocation or element of the identified system at which such control pointis installed. The control point can be a combination of a location,element, etc. of the identified system as well as a detector, sensor,reader, etc. that is installed on such location, element, etc. of theidentified system. Along with the installation of the control points, acontrol panel is installed in the building that is configured tocommunicate with the control points, that is, the control panel isconfigured to transmit/receive data, instructions to and from thecontrol points and to transmit/receive data from other components in thecommunications system 100, as will be detailed below. As can beunderstood by one skilled in the art, exemplary control panels can be anELK panel manufactured by Elk Products, Inc., Hildebran, N.C., USA or aBrightBlue panel manufactured by Ingersoll-Rand Plc., Dublin, Ireland,or any other panel suitable for the purposes of the communicationssystem 100. In some embodiments, each control panel can include variousidentification information, including but not limited to, control paneltype (e.g., Elk, BrightBlue), local area network, public IP address,network security information, as well as any other information that maybe used for providing access to the building from the communicationssystem 100. As can be understood by one skilled in the art, there can bemore than one control panel 112 installed in the building 110.

In some embodiments, during a building/user setup procedure, thecommunications system 100, specifically, the control server 120, isconfigured to connect, via the building server 118 and a local areanetwork, to the building's local control panel 112 to obtain a listingof all control points and/or devices currently configured in the controlpanel 112. In some embodiments, the control panel is installed firstalong with the control points/devices and the control points/devices arecommunicatively linked with the control panel. The list of controlpoints can then be used to populate the control server 120 with acorresponding listing of control points, named according to apredetermined convention. Once a listing of control points 114 in abuilding 110 is acquired and mapped to the control server 120, validityof the listed control points 114 is verified. Such process can bemanual, semi-automatic, automatic, and/or a combination of the above.Control points 14 that are listed that may be non-operational (e.g., notactually connected, or labeled incorrectly, etc.) can either be deletedor held back from the next step. In some embodiments, once validated,the list of control points 114 can be used to generate an intermediate“control-point-definition file” or an “intermediate file” that describesthe configuration of control points 114 in a specific building 110.

In some embodiments, each control point can be configured to be assignedto at least one of the following: (1) a zone, which can correspond to aphysical region associated with the building, e.g., a floor, a room, ahallway, a basement, outside garden, roof, etc.; (2) an operationalfunction(s), e.g., heating, HVAC, lighting, security, humidity level,etc.; and (3) a group(s), which can be user defined collection(s) ofpoints or a point that are configured to provide an end-user interactionwith the operational function(s). In some embodiments, initial zone,system, group information can be assigned to the listed control pointsin the intermediate file. The intermediate file can be transformed ortranslated into a final “Building XML Definition File,” which is an XMLformat file used to provide configuration information for variouscomponents of the communication system 100. Such process can beperformed manually, semi-automatically, and/or automatically.

In some embodiments, control points 114 can be assigned to sensors,detectors, readers, controllers and/or control devices. Such devices canbe actual devices that are used to sense, monitor, and/or controlvarious building functionalities and/or operations. These may include,but are not limited to: temperature sensors, thermostats, motiondetectors, magnetic door locks, etc. In some embodiments, the buildingowner can be responsible for maintaining such devices. Because controlpoints 114 are already disposed on the building devices which theymonitor, sensor, and/or control, there is no upstream communicationassociated with these points. However, the control points are configuredto communicate with a respective control panel 112 to which such controlpoints 114 are assigned and/or control server 120. Communication withthe control server 120 is accomplished directly or via the control panel112.

As stated above, building 110 can be configured to include at least onecontrol panel 112. In some embodiments, the control panel(s) 112 can bedevice(s) that provide central distribution and/or connection locationfor individual control points 114 within a building 110. An example of acontrol panel is an ELK panel. Other examples include a BrightBluepanel, dedicated HVAC control panels manufactured by Trane, Inc.,Siemens AG, lighting control panels manufactured by Lutron Electronics,Inc., and others. In some embodiments, control panels can be configuredto provide local functionality and/or control over buildingfunctionalities and/or operations of its various systems and subsystems(e.g., HVAC, electricity, lighting, security, etc.). In someembodiments, the control panel 112 can be configured to include softwareor other means for the user to initialize, update or otherwise managethe control panel 114. In some embodiments, the control panel can bemanaged by the building owner.

The control panel 114 is configured to communicate upstream with variouscontrol points assigned to individual sensors/devices, e.g.,thermostats, lighting controls, temperature monitor, etc. On thedownstream, the control panel 114 is configured to communicate with thecontrol server 120. Such communication can be on a direct or indirectbasis, i.e., directly for standard protocols and/or indirectly fornon-standard protocols, which included but are not limited to, Elk M1ASCII protocol, Bright Blue XML-RPC, and others. Additionally, thecontrol panel 114 is configured to communicate on the downstream pathwith the building server 118. In some embodiments, the control panel 114can be configured to receive and/or transmit various data and/orcommands that is used to implement monitoring and control of the controlpoints 112.

The building component 102 is further configured to include a controlserver 120. The control server 120 is configured to provide an interfaceto standard building control protocols. For example, such protocols,include but are not limited to, Bacnet, Lontalk, and Modbus. As can beunderstood by one having ordinary skill in the art, other protocols arepossible. The control server 120 is configured to provide for onsitecollection and management of data generated by a control point 114. Insome embodiments, a gateway 125 is configured to poll the control server120 to collect data and submit operator or automated commands to thebuilding control system. In the case of a building with standardprotocols as listed above, the control server 120 can be configured tocommunicate directly with a compatible control panel 112 or individualdevice or control point 114. However, if the control panel 112 does notsupport one of the standard protocols then custom software can beconfigured to manage communication between the control server 120 andthe control panel 114, where such software can be configured to resideon the building server 118. Referring to FIG. 1, the control server 120is configured to communicate with control panel 114 and/or specificcontrol point 112 (if communicating directly with a point) on anupstream path. Additionally, the control server 120 is also configuredto communicate with the building server 118 to account for anynon-standard control panel communication. On the downstream path, thecontrol server 120 is configured to communicate with the building server118 (in some embodiments, for proxy purposes only) and the gateway 125.In some embodiments, the gateway 125 is configured to retrieve/sendcontrol point data from/to the control server 120 via securecommunication channel provided by the building server 118. Thecommunication can include various data (e.g., sensor readings, detectedinformation, and/or other data) as well as commands.

The building server 118 is configured to provide several functionsincluding communication between the building component 102 and thenetwork component 104. In some embodiments, the building server 118'sfunction can include:

-   -   encrypted communication, via reverse-proxy, between the        in-building components and the Gateway 125;    -   running custom software and/or other programs to manage        communication between the control server 120 and non-standards        based control panels. In some embodiments, the building server        118 can be configured to operate custom scripts that facilitate        communication between the control server 120 and the control        panel 112. As can be understood by one skilled in the art, there        can be any number of scripts that the building server 118 can be        configured to operate.    -   providing a local cache and logging mechanism to record building        data and system operational record. This enables the system to        log every control action or event that occurs at a building and        maintain a fine-grained record of events. Further, this provides        a fail-safe on lost local data, since in the event the Internet        connection to a building fails, the system can recover the        historical log of actions and events that occur locally at a        given building.

The building server 118 is configured to communicate on an upstreamcommunication path with the control server 120 when standard protocolsare implemented. Alternatively, the building server 118 is configured tocommunicate with the control panel 112 or specific control point 114when non-standard protocols are implemented. On the downstreamcommunications path, the building server 118 is configured tocommunicate with the gateway 125 and is further configured to connect tothe building via a secure connection. This communication channel can beconfigured to be transparent.

The building components 102 also includes a router 116. In someembodiments, the router 116 is configured to provide a transparent layerof security and logically segment the in-building components or elementsfrom any of the client systems that may also reside on the building'slocal area network (assuming that all control devices as well as othersystems in the building reside on a same local area network). Ingeneral, all building components can be configured to sit behind therouter 116, in order to isolate them from the building's local areanetwork. In some embodiments, the router 116 can be configured to onlysegment the local network and can be essentially transparent to normaloperation of the communications system 100. Further, on the upstreamcommunication path, the router 116 is configured to communicate thebuilding server 118 and the control server 120, where suchcommunications can be configured to be transparent. On the downstreampath, the router 116 is configured to transparently communicate with thegateway 125.

As stated above, using the building component 102's elements, the useris able to receive data (e.g., sensory data) and transmit commands tothe building's functionalities for the purposes of management and/orcontrol such functionalities (e.g., HVAC, electrical, telephone,lighting, gas, oil, heat, humidity level, etc.). Using these elements inthe building component 102, the user is able to collect various currentand/or historical data about operation of the building and/or itsparticular systems and make any requisite decisions whether or not toadjust operation of a particular functionality with the building. Suchadjustments can be done manually, semi-automatically, and/orautomatically.

The following is a description of an exemplary network component 104 ofthe communications system 100, according to some embodiments of thepresent invention. The network component or components 104 can beconfigured to operate in one or more data centers that can be accessiblefrom LAN, MAN, WAN, the Internet, mobile networks, or any other network.These components are further configured to interact via variouscommunication protocols, primarily HTTP, and utilize various REST-basedapplication programming interfaces (“API”), as well as, industrystandard data formats to exchange data, information, and command andcontrol messages. As can be understood by one having ordinary skill inthe art, other ways of providing communication between networkcomponent, its elements and other components in the communication system100 are possible. The present invention is not limited to theillustrated embodiment.

In some embodiments, the network component 104 is configured to includea gateway 125, an application server 127, a log server 129, a decisionserver 131, a report server 133, a data warehouse 141, a datatransformer 143, a report database (also known as data mart) 145, anaudit database 135, an operations database 147, and a trouble ticketdatabase 139. The building component 102 is configured to becommunicatively coupled to the network component 104 via the gateway125. The gateway 125 is configured to be communicatively coupled to theapplication server 127, the log server 129, and the decision server 131via various Hypertext transfer protocol (“HTTP”) pull/push procedures.An HTTP server push (also known as HTTP streaming) is a mechanism forsending data from a web server to a web browser and can be achievedthrough various known mechanisms. An HTTP pull is a mechanism forreceiving/retrieving data. The application server 127 is configured tobe communicatively coupled to the report server 133 and databases135-139 via similar mechanisms. The report server 133 is in turncommunicatively coupled to the report database 145. The log server 129is communicatively coupled to the data warehouse 141. The applicationserver 127 also communicates with the remote client component 106 andits various applications 152 and 154.

As stated above, the gateway 125 is one of the mechanisms that thenetwork component's elements are configured to communicate with theelements of the building component 102. As can be understood by onehaving ordinary skill in the art, various elements of the networkcomponent 104 can communicate directly with various elements of thecomponent 102. The gateway 125 is configured to: 1) “poll” a building110 and obtain state/data information and updates, 2) send “commands” tothe building 110 to control various building operations (e.g., turn on alight, change a set-point on a thermostat, etc.), and 3) disseminatebuilding data to the appropriate element of the network component 102for further processing or display. In some embodiments, the pollingaspect of the gateway 125, as shown in FIG. 1, can be accomplishedthrough extracting data directly from the control server 120 or via acustomized data transport method, thereby eliminating direct interfacewith the control server 120. As illustrated in FIG. 1, on an upstreampath, the gateway 125 communicates with the building server 118 forcommunication purposes and the control server 120 for data acquisition.The building server 118 provides a transparent secure communicationtunnel so the data transfer between the gateway 125 and control server120 is encrypted over a network, e.g., the Internet, or any other typeof network.). On the downstream communication path, the gateway 125 isconfigured to communicate with the application server 127, which isresponsible for routing data to remote client component's application(s)and/or users, as well as, generating notifications of specific events,and data pushing. The application server 127 is configured to push datavia an HTTP server push mechanism to the gateway 125. The applicationserver 127 will be described in more detail below. On the downstreampath, the gateway 125 is configured to communicate with the log server129 and the decision server 131. The log server 129 is configured toperform continuous logging of state changes and events (e.g.,temperature drop is detected in the boiler, humidity level is above apredetermined threshold, etc.)

In some embodiments, the application server 127 is configured to respondto user devices, such as, web applications 154, mobile applications 152,or any other applications that are part of the remote client component106, e.g., iPhone, iPad, iPod, Blackberry, cellular telephone, PALM,PDA, and other devices' applications). The application server 127 isfurther configured to ensure that each client's application 152, 154receives up-to-date data on the values of control points 114, as wellas, pass on commands from the applications down to the building 110 viathe gateway 125. Information that can be received by the applicationserver 127 from the control points 114 can include values indicating aparticular state (e.g., on/off) or a specific numerical value, forexample, temperature in an area within building/facility 110, humiditylevel with an area, oil level in an oil tank of the building/facility,gas pressure in the building/facility gas supply line, whether a door toa particular facility is open and for how long it was open before it wasclosed, whether the lights are turned on in an area within thebuilding/facility, etc. As can be understood by one skilled in the art,a single control point can provide monitoring and control of an entiresystem within the building 110 or multiple control points can beassigned to the system/subsystem within the building 110. For example, alighting system in the building 110 can include a control point assignedto every bulb in the building, where such control point is configured toprovide a readout as to whether a light is on/off/out. The user throughthe application server 127 and the gateway 125 is configured to providecommands/instructions to control systems and subsystems within thebuilding 110, for example, turn on/off lights, heat, HVAC,activate/deactivate security, call repair service, etc.

In some embodiments, where each user of the communication system 100 isassigned a specific role (e.g., owner, manager, customer servicerepresentative, service technician, etc.) the application server 127 canbe further configured to manage all user permissions, alert notificationlists, building definitions, as well as manages various operationaldatabases 135-139. Specifically, if a particular user of the system 100has a restricted access, then application server 127 would allow thatuser to access certain parts of the system 100 but not others so as toprevent an unauthorized change to the system's operational componentsand/or reporting. In some embodiments, the owner has a system-wideaccess allowing the owner to change any and all parameters about theowner's buildings. A customer service representative would have apartial access to the system 100's elements so as to be able to provideinformation about system's operation to the user requesting information,however, the representative may be restricted from accessing certainsecure parts of the system. As can be understood by one skilled in theart, various users of the system can be granted different security andaccess levels, which can be altered based on appropriate permissions. Insome embodiments, the application server 127 can also include variousAPIs, which other components in the system can utilize to request dataand system configuration information.

As shown in FIG. 1, on an upstream communication path, the applicationserver 127 is configured to be communicatively coupled to the gateway125, which provides control point status information to and receivescontrol point command data from the application server 127. Thecommunication between the application server 127 and the gateway 125 isaccomplished on the basis of the HTTP server push mechanism.

The application server 127 is also coupled to the log server 129 and isconfigured to provide logging data and information to the log server 129concerning control point status, commands sent to control points fromuser or other elements of the system 100, commands executed at or bycontrol points, and any other information about operation of thecommunication system 100. In some embodiments, the communication betweenthe application server 127 and the log server 129 is accomplishedthrough HTTP server pull mechanism.

The application server 127 is also coupled to the decision server 131that is configured to send notification messages to the applicationserver 127. The decision server 131 is configured to determine whether a“notification event” has occurred based on settings that may bepre-defined by the user. If a notification event has occurred, anotification message is configured to be generated, which can include atleast the following information: control point name, current state,event trigger (e.g., a predefined temperature range is exceeded,predetermined humidity level is exceeded, lighting has been left onbeyond a predetermined period of time, etc.). The decision server 131then sends the notification message to the application server 127, whichis configured to maintain a list of users who are subscribed to receivesuch notification message and send out the notification message to thedesignated users over various communication channels (e.g., email, push,in-application, and SMS messaging, telephone call, or any other means).

On the downstream communication path, the application server 127 isconfigured to communication with various applications 152, 154 in theremote client component 106. The applications allow users of the system100 to provide various command and control data, information, andinstructions to elements of the system 100. In some embodiments, theapplication server 127 is also configured to be coupled to a pushnotification service(s), which can be external services that “push” datato mobile devices/applications (such as Apple's Push NotificationService, RIM's Blackberry push notification services, and others).

The log server 129 is configured to capture state changes at thebuilding, as provided by the gateway 125, and to store them in the datawarehouse 141. Such storage can be accomplished on a continuous basis,periodically at predetermined intervals, automatically upon detection ofa change, or in any other pre-select manner. The log server 129 can beconfigured to pull its configuration information from the applicationserver 127, including obtaining a current list of buildings for eachclient/owner/user. Whenever values of control point(s) 114 are updated,the log server 129 is configured to record such values and/or any statechanges associated with such an update. As stated above, the log server129 is configured to write the data to the data warehouse 141.

Thus, on the upstream communications path, the log server 129 isconfigured to be communicatively coupled to the gateway 125 forreceiving data and state change information on control points and theapplication server 127 for obtaining initial configuration information.On the downstream communications path, the log server 129 is configuredto be coupled to the data warehouse 141 for maintaining a record of eachcontrol point monitored by the system 100.

The decision server 131 is configured to provide an intelligent controlwithin the communications system 100. In some embodiments, the decisionserver 131 is further configured to provide an automated response touser-configured conditions. For example, such responses can includeautomatically turning on the heat once the outside temperature reaches apre-defined set-point temperature. In some embodiments, the decisionserver 131 is further configured to manage alert notifications that arecan be generated based on the data received from the control pointswithin a building 110. That is, if a given control point reaches a statedefined by the end-user, the decision server 131 is configured togenerate a notification message to be sent to one or more end-users(i.e., applications 152, 154, etc.). The decision server 131 is furtherconfigured to receive data on the status of control points directly fromthe gateway 125 and can be further configured to use the applicationserver 127 for managing dissemination of the notification messages.

As such, the decision server 131 is configured to be communicativelycoupled to a gateway 125 on an upstream communication path for receivingdata from the control points concerning events, state changes, commands,etc. On the downstream, the decision server is communicatively coupledto the application server 127 for pushing notification and othercommand, state, event data and information.

The report server 133 is configured to manage delivery of historicaldata and analysis to the end user via a web interface. In someembodiments, the report server is configured to interact with theapplication server 127 to deliver any historical reports requested by auser or an element of the system 100 to the appropriate end-user. Asstated above, the application server 127 can be configured to manageaccess to such reports for the purposes of management and data analysis.The report server 133 is further configured to retrieve processedhistorical data from the report database 145, as illustrated in FIG. 1.Such retrieved data can be used to generate various reports or promptthe user or various elements to generate appropriate commands or otheralerts. In some embodiments, the data warehouse 141 can be configured tohave an unlimited amount of storage for storing the historical data ofthe communications system 100. In alternate embodiments, the datawarehouse 141 can be configured to have a predetermined storagethreshold beyond which historical data can be archived, compressed,transferred offsite, deleted and/or purged based on age, importance,use, and/or other parameters.

The report server can be configured to generate reports by a collectionof buildings, a building, a zone, a group, and/or by a control point. Insome embodiments, the report server 133 can be configured so that accessto the historical data is limited based on a particular user and/or userpreferences. The application server 127 can also be configured toallow/limit such access.

As such, the report server 133 is configured to be communicativelycoupled to the data warehouse 141 and the reporting database (also knownas data mart) on an upstream communications path. Such communication isaccomplished using a data transformer 143 that communicates with thedata warehouse 141 and the reporting database 145. The data transformeris configured to process raw data stored in the data warehouse 141 andprovide it to the reporting database 145 for further processing by thereport server 133. The data warehouse 141 and reporting database 145 canbe any storage facilities or repositories. In some embodiments, the datatransformer includes scripts or programs that are used to process theraw data from the data warehouse 141. In some embodiments, these scriptscan be pre-defined and could be configured by the end-user for thepurposes of generating new, unanticipated reports. An example of suchprocessing is pre-computing a date-limited range of average temperaturesin a building. Hence, on the downstream communication path, the reportserver is coupled to the application server for delivering requested“reports” to the end-user application.

As can be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art, each ofthe servers 127-133 can include a processing equipment that is capableof receiving/transmitting data, processing and managing data, acommunications equipment capable of providing communication path(s)between various elements of the system 100, a memory components, and/orany other requisite components.

Referring to FIG. 1, the databases 135-139, 141, and 145 are configuredto receive, maintain, and store various “live”, raw, processed, and/orhistorical data, as well as, any other data that is generated inconnection with operation of the system 100. In some embodiments, thesystem 100 can be configured to have data compression, archival, backuppolicies that allow for efficient management of data. Various data canbe moved to offsite repositories, compressed, deleted, purged, orotherwise manipulated to reduce storage capacities of the appropriatedatabases.

The following is a description of each database illustrated in FIG. 1.As can be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art, thepresent invention is not limited to the number of databases or storagefacilities show in FIG. 1. Other databases can be added to the system100 to serve various storage and processing purposes.

As stated above, in some embodiments, the data warehouse 141 can beconfigured to maintain historical control point and event data that maybe going back to the initial start of the communications system 100 andas such it can contain data from the first time a particular building110, control point 114, etc. have been activated. The data warehouse canbe populated manually, semi-automatically, and/or automatically fromdumps from a log database, which can be internal to the log server 129,and which can be into the data warehouse periodically. The datawarehouse 141 can be also manually, semi-automatically, and/orautomatically updated using the data from the log database on apre-determined basis (e.g., hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) or onother configurable time scale.

The report database (also known as data mart) 145 can be configured tocontain processed raw data from the data warehouse 141, which has beenprocessed by the data transformer 143. The report database can beupdated on a predetermined basis (e.g., daily, weekly, and monthlydata). Such data can represent activity of various elements of thecommunications system 100, including data associated with operation ofvarious building 110 systems/subsystems as represented by the controlpoints 114. As stated above, the data can be provided on an up-to-theminute, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, etc. These periods oftime can be custom-defined by the user/building manager/building ownerof the system 100.

The audit database 135 is configured to contain a log of all activitiesinitiated by the users within the communications system 100. These mayinclude commands from the user, automatic commands by the systemgenerated based on specific settings, or any other data exchange. Insome embodiments, the audit database 135 can be populated by theapplication server 127. The audit database can be configured to simplyrecord the action of any human-initiated process in the communicationsystem 100.

In some embodiments, the network component 104 can be configured toinclude a log database that contains various historical control data. Insome embodiments, the log database can be configured to store data goingback more than a predetermined time period (e.g., a week, a month, ayear, etc.). The log database can be updated based on a predeterminedsystem configuration and can be populated by the log server 129.

In some embodiments, the operations database can be configured tomaintain configuration information for the system 100 based on clientinformation (e.g., site configurations, buildings, user lists, etc.),building information (e.g., lists of control points, etc.), and userinformation (e.g., permissions, groups, etc.).

The trouble ticket database 139 can be configured to store and manageend-user and system 100 initiated support requests, which are known astrouble tickets. These can include various alerts, requests for serviceand repair, as well as any other actions. In some embodiments, a troubleticket can be describe the problem, time submitted and current statusand once resolved a description of the resolution and date/time ofresolution.

Referring to FIG. 1, the communications system 100 can be configured toinclude remote client component 106 that includes mobile applications152, web applications 154, and/or other applications that can allow auser to control buildings 110. As shown in FIG. 1, the web applicationscan be configured to include a console application (as shown in FIGS.36-40), which can be used by end users to monitor and control buildingfunction; an administrator application (as shown in FIGS. 31-35), whichcan be used by client (e.g., user, building owner, manager, etc.) staffto administer their accounts with system 100, staff user accounts andbuilding profiles; and a platform manager application (as shown in FIGS.18-30) which can be used by the staff to manage client accounts,billing, provide client support, as well as monitor and control clientbuildings. In some embodiments, there are also corresponding mobileapplications 152 that allow users to activate or monitor control pointsfor which they have permission. In addition, the mobile applicationsallow partial control over a users profile information. As can beunderstood by one skilled in the art, the applications are not limitedto those shown in FIG. 1. The applications and the system 100 can beconfigured to be adaptable to any systems/subsystems as well as localnetworks used by the buildings and/or their owners, managers, and/orother users.

Referring to FIGS. 18-30, the platform manager web application isconfigured to provide the user, client, owner of the system 100 with alisting of facilities/buildings along with appropriate locations andcontact information as well as providing status of each identifiedfacility (FIG. 18). The platform manager is also capable of providinginformation about the number of sites, buildings, systems, zones, andcontrol points as well as any warnings that may have issued for theidentified properties (FIG. 19). In some embodiments, theuser/client/owner can add a building to the list of buildings (FIG. 20).FIG. 21 illustrates access level granted to each person associated witha particular property along with appropriate contact information. Forexample, some users can be listed as administrators having the highestlevel of access, as indicated by the “̂” symbols. FIG. 22 also providesinformation for each particular user and sites/buildings along withappropriate status and warnings. FIGS. 23-25 identify roles of eachperson authenticated on the system. FIG. 26 illustrates each buildingalong with associate site and client information and periods of updatingthe information. FIG. 27 illustrates an exemplary window that can beused to create new billing information. FIGS. 28-30 illustrates a samplereport that can be generated for each building associated with a client.The report can illustrate information about various parameters,including temperature changes, humidity level changes, electricityconsumption, oil consumption, gas consumption, security information, andother reports. Various elements of the communications system 100 areconfigured to analyze data received from the buildings' control pointsand generate reports having various degrees of depth of information,e.g., a number of time a particular person entered a specific zonewithin a building, the number of minutes that person was in that zonebefore exiting, and any other information that may be desired by theuser and/or client.

FIGS. 31-35 illustrate an exemplary administrator interface, accordingto some embodiments of the present invention. These figures illustratethe type of information that is available to an administrator for aparticular client but that may not be available for other usersauthenticated for the client. The administrator may have various rightsand privileges, such as adding and/or removing users, sites, buildings,zones, control points, etc., monitoring information about particularparameters of buildings' systems and subsystems, and other functions.

FIGS. 36-40 illustrate an exemplary console web application, accordingto some embodiments of the present invention. Such console can beavailable to users and may have varying degrees of accessibility basedon a particular user's status with the client.

In some embodiments, the user receives access to the communicationsnetwork/service and also adds user's buildings/facilities to theservice. Once the user and the user's buildings are added to thenetwork/service, the user and the buildings are able to communicate withone another, whereby the user is capable of sending messages, controlsignals, commands, etc. to the buildings' systems and the buildings'systems are able to respond to the user with reports, alerts, etc. Insome embodiments, hardware, sensors, etc. may be installed at user'sbuildings for allowing the user and buildings communications. In someembodiments, on-site technicians can provide installation of equipmentto enable Internet connectivity and system/sensor/device level access tothe building systems. In some embodiments, support staff may be involvedin the installation process and setting up a web interface for managingthe process. Additional staff may be needed to ensure that each one ofuser's buildings has the proper equipment necessary to provide interneaccess and bi-directional flow of information and control inputs.

To operate the present invention's network/service, the user logins tosetup various user accounts. In some embodiments, such user accounts canbe on various user access levels: Administrator, Supervisor, or StaffThese user levels are described in more detail below. User can alsoestablish Access Groups that can provide easily-defined sets ofprivileges to be extended to users. Once the user's building/facility isconfigured in terms of hardware and connectivity the building may beadded to the user's account. A user's Supervisor user logins to theservice and can add new buildings, facilities, etc. Additional supportmay be needed to maintain the system. Once the building is added,Control Points, which can correspond to actual building system devicescan be added and configured. In some embodiments, control points can beconfigured to correspond to whole systems or subsystems within a system,e.g., sensors that monitor and/or control performance of a particularsystem component (e.g., temperature) or the system as a whole (e.g.,boiler system, HVAC system, etc.). Once the connection betweenbuildings, user, and the network are established, the users are able tomonitor and control day-to-day operation of any building system and/orsubsystem under the client's account, depending on the user's Groupmembership.

In some embodiments, the communications system 100 can be configured toprovide a comprehensive reporting on per user and/or aggregate basis.The communications system 100 can be configured to generate local and/orglobal reports on building system operations, as well as user actions.Local reports can be configured to apply to a single building and/orfacility. Global reports are based on whatever grouping the user decidesto use (including, but not limited to address, city, state, region,country, etc.).

In some embodiments, the communications system 100 can be configured toperform mining of the operational data to provide aggregate or targetedreporting and recommendations on building operations. For example, thecommunications system 100 aggregated/targeted reports can support agreen rating of buildings, where reporting provides an insight into howmuch energy is being used by the buildings based on consumption ofvarious energy resources (electricity, oil, water, gas, etc.), emissionsand/or exhaust from spent fuels, production of unusable content (e.g.,trash, etc.), and other parameters that can be used to calculate the“greenness” of a building and/or buildings. Such reports can alsoprovide a measure of the efficiency of a particular building or group ofbuildings. Groupings may be by client, locale, or region, as well assystem type.

In some embodiments, the communications system 100 is easy to setup fromthe user's perspective and does not require any special softwareinstallation for individual users. In some embodiments, a webapplication may be implemented that uses, for example, a broadbandinterne connection and 228-bit capable browser. In some embodiments, theuser can communicate with the buildings via user's mobile telephone,blackberry, iPhone, iPod, iPad, PDA, laptop, personal computer, regulartelephone, or any other communication device using SMS, mobile browseror any other type of communication protocols. Using the presentinvention's system, the user is capable of controlling and/or monitoringvarious building systems, e.g. HVAC, lighting, security, etc. In someembodiments, the present invention's system can be made compatible withvarious interne browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari,etc. The present invention is also capable of working with GoogleTalk,various Instant Messengers (including AIM, MSN Instant Messenger, Yahoo!Instant Messenger, and others) As stated above, in some embodiments, thepresent invention can be configured to use international and open sourcestandards for building communication, such as LonTalk, Bacnet, andothers. The communications system 100 can be configured to performcomprehensive reporting and historical record of building operationalinformation. The communications system 100 is further configured toprovide aggregate data collection and processing for the purposes ofcomprehensive reporting on local, regional, and global basis.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary physical architecture of an alternateembodiment of a communication system 200, according to some embodimentsof the present invention. The system 200 includes a building accessserver 202 that is configured to communicate with a building or aplurality of buildings 204 and a client side 206, where the client sideis configured to communicate with the user/client 208. The buildingaccess server 202 includes a client web server access function anddatabase (“DB”) management component 210, an archive DB 212, a livedatabase polled updates component 214, an automated pollingfunction/expert notifiersNPN communication component 216, aparsing/communication/DB functions component 218, hardware applicationprogramming interface (“API”) functions component 215, and a graphicuser interface (“GUI”) 220. Components 215, 216, and 218 are configuredto communicate with buildings 204 and send/receive information,commands, alerts, etc. The hardware API component 215 is configured tocommunicate with the GUI 220, which can be configured to provide avisual display to a technician. The technician can manually respond toalerts or the system can be preset to automatically generate commands,alerts, store information, process, communicate with buildings, etc. Anyinformation that is exchanged between the buildings 204, the buildingaccess server 202, the client side 206 and the client/user 208 can beconfigured to be stored in the Live Database 214. After a certain periodof time, the information can be configured to be archived in the ArchiveDB 212. The stored information, either in Live DV 214, Archive DB 212and/or both, can be used for analysis and generating of particularcommands, advisories, alerts, triggers, etc., as well as reports thatcan be used in the future either by clients/users and/or third parties.

The client/user side component 206 includes an application server 222 incommunication with a client/account database(s) 226, a live event notifydatabase 224, an event notifier 228, a client-side web server 230, and aclient web interface 232. The application server 222 can be configuredto include various components for pre-fetching data, buildingcommunication, event handling, schedulers, components that performanalysis/reporting, and various control logic. The client/user 208interacts with client web interface 232 that allows the client/user 208to view information about user's buildings, respond to various alerts,issue commands, etc.

The interaction between client's side 206 and the building access server202 takes place via client web server access functions 210 on thebuilding access server side 202 and live event notify database 224 andclient account database 226.

In some embodiments, the present invention's physical architecture canbe configured to include a plurality of web/application servers hostedat a suitable co-location facility. Both web servers and primarydatabase servers can be co-located. The ArchiveDB 212 may be a datastoreleveraging the Amazon S3 data storage service or similar. In someembodiments, the design of the system ensures scalability withoutincurring large hardware costs. In some embodiments, the buildings donot require any additional hardware/software besides the alreadyexisting infrastructure.

In some embodiments, the present invention's system and service can behosted on controlled servers in various co-location facilities acrossthe country. The live service may leverage various “cloud” services(e.g., Amazon S3, Amazon EC2) to manage deployment cost and effort.Detailed choices on deployment configurations will be made taking cost,security, growth, ease and other factors into account.

In some embodiments, the communications system can be configured toinclude the following components: a building interface, servers and API,a website, a client user interface, and client side databases andservers (as shown in FIG. 2). The following is a brief discussion of thecomponents of the system 200.

1. Building Interface

The present invention's building interface component interfaces directlywith building controls systems via various protocols, such as LonTalk,Bacnet, ASCI protocols. As can be understood by one skilled in the art,other types of protocols are possible. A present invention's API can beconfigured to provide a common interface to either the LonTalk or Bacnetprotocols. In some embodiments, the present invention can includerouters connected to the building subsystems that can be disposed ateach one of user's buildings and/or facilities, as well as a broadbandinterne connection (preferably dedicated). LonTalk or Bacnet compatiblesoftware and hardware can be also installed at each building and/orfacility to ensure proper communication with the present invention'sservice.

2. Servers and API

In some embodiments, the present invention's system and service can beconfigured to include various servers and databases to deliver themonitoring and control functionality. These elements are:

-   -   Application Programming Interface (“API”): the API is a common        interface used to connect to buildings via LonTalk, Bacnet, or        any other protocol. The API can be configured to provide a core        set of features of the LonTalk, Bacnet and other protocols for        the purposes of monitoring and control.    -   Server(s): The server(s) is the computational component that        polls the client building control systems to retrieve data.        Additionally, data may be pushed by the client facilities to the        present invention's system, depending on local system        configurations and capabilities. The server(s)' primary job is        to acquire building data and populate the LiveDB 214 and        ArchiveDB 212.    -   Live Database (“Live DB”) 214: The Live DB 214 is a real-time        datastore for raw building data. Every sensor, event        notification, alarm or other information provided by the        building is captured in the LiveDB 214. The LiveDB 214 can be        configured to maintain a 7-day (or any other time-period)        running record of live information for each facility in the        present invention's system.    -   Archive Database (“ArchiveDB”) 212: The ArchiveDB 212 provides a        historical record for raw building data. All building data older        than 7 days (or any other time period) is archived in the        ArchiveDB 212. This archived data is used to develop summaries,        compute trends and as raw input for more sophisticated analyses,        such as environmental ratings or energy management scenarios. As        can be understood by one skilled in the art, there is no        practical limit as to how long the archived data can be stored.

3. The Website

The present invention can be configured to include a service website forusers of the present invention's system can interact with the system andtheir buildings. The website can be configured as a database drivenweb-application. This is where users/clients setup new accounts, userslogin and manage their facilities. The web-application can be compatiblewith major browsers currently available and leverage industry standard228-bit SSL capabilities for security.

4. Client User Interface

The client user interface (UI) is how users can access the system. Insome embodiments, the UI can be configured as a web application usingindustry standard methods and technology. Access can be configured to bebrowser-based for both web and mobile interfaces. In some embodiments,the users can access the system via various mobile devices, Blackberry,iPhone, iPod, iPad, personal computer, or similar browser capabledevices. The client web application can provide access for accountmanagement, system set-up, system monitoring and control as well as usermanagement. Various client-side databases and computational servers canbe configured to provide account information, operational data, webaccess and manage computational resources.

5. Client Side Databases and Servers

The following user/client side databases and servers can be used:

-   -   Account Database (AccountDB): the AccountDB can be configured to        hold client account information, billing records, user account        information, and other non-technical data associated with a        client account.    -   Client Database (ClientDB) 226: the ClientDB 226 holds processed        client building data, including results of processed raw data,        from the LiveDB 214 or ArchiveDB 212. The ClientDB 226 stores        processed data on demand and gets raw data from the ArchiveDB        212 or LiveDB 214 to produce simple or sophisticated analyses of        client building data. These can include alarms, triggers, event        notifications, commands, etc. as well as generation of formatted        historical reports, trend analyses, “green rating” reports, and        any other reports and/or analysis. This ClientDB 226 allows the        users to “view” when monitoring building systems as well as        providing control inputs to set system parameters.    -   Application Server 222: the Application Server 222 is configured        to manage the web application on the client side, mediate all        client functions, facilitate communication with the building        interface and building-side databases. The Server 222 uses the        API to communicate with the client facilities, if necessary.    -   Compute Server: the Compute Server is configured to provide        offline and on-demand computational, automated control, and data        processing. The Compute Server also leverages the API to        communicate with the building interface.

Prior to using the system of the present invention, e.g., managingand/or controlling various buildings, the users/clients connect to thesystem and setup an account. In some embodiments, account setup can beself-service, up to the point of the initial building setup. In someembodiments, the present invention can provide for Client Administratorsthat are able to establish an account and schedule any onsite worknecessary to properly configure their buildings. Clients can establishrequested service levels, enter billing and payment information, providedata on buildings and facilities, as well as setup initial user accountsfor Supervisors and or staff Clients can be issued a unique clientnumber and Client ID. Clients' users can be required to enter a ClientID as part of their user login credentials. FIG. 2 illustrates a typicalclient login interface.

Once the client is signed in, various users can be added using add/editclient interface, as shown in FIG. 3. In some embodiments, the clientscan designate various access levels to its users. There are three maintypes of users of the system: Administrators, Supervisors, and Staff Ascan be understood by one skilled in the art, there can be more thanthree types of users. The following is a brief description of the threetypes. Administrators can be the main business contact at the client.Administrator(s) is responsible for managing the contractual arrangementwith the service provided by the present invention's system.Administrator(s) has a primary control to establish service levels andcan change it as necessary. Anything that involves billing/payment ismanaged by the Administrator(s). Each Client can have at least oneAdministrator. Supervisor can be a technical user for the client. Thesepersons can be senior facilities managers. They can have primaryresponsibility for authorizing subordinate users (Staff), setting upbuilding system interfaces, etc. Actions that may impact service levelcan require Administrator approval. Supervisors may have responsibilityfor more than one building system. Although, Supervisors may haveprivileges limited to one type of building system. Supervisors have allthe privileges that Staff users have. Each Building or Facility can haveat least one Supervisor with global privileges for all availablesystems. Building Staff that handles day-to-day monitoring and control.Staff can be authorized to monitor and control various building systems.They may be authorized to add components to or upgrade/repair anexisting building system. They may also add a building system to theservice with Supervisor approval. Note: a specific user may be both anAdministrator and Supervisor, which may be the case in smallerorganizations. As can be understood by one skilled in the art, othertypes of users can be setup having varying levels of control and accessto the client's accounts.

In some embodiments, various user groups can be created by Supervisorsand/or Administrators. Upon creating of new user accounts, the accountscan be assigned to various Groups. A Group can be assigned aclient-predefined set of privileges. For example, an HVAC group orlighting group may define privileges for Staff responsible for thosesystems. A Group may be set up for a building or cluster of buildings.Groups may be created for users needing to span multiple buildings orsystems. For example, a security staff person would be in the securitygroup, which allows them to control various security and accessfunctions, but not control operation of the HVAC system. Supervisors arepart of Groups and depending on their privileges may operate in multiplegroups. Privileges can also be customized, so a member of a group mayhave a subset or superset of the privileges in a particular group.Groups can be configured by facility or building, system type, staffinglevel. For example, an office administrator may have staff privileges toonly generate, view and print various reports. In addition, a specificuser may have Supervisor privileges in one group, but staff privilegesin another.

In some embodiments, users are authorized to take certain actions withinthe present invention's system depending on User type and Groupmembership. These policies can be primarily controlled by membership ina Group. Users can belong to one or more groups with Supervisor or Staffprivileges. Within each Group a default set of privileges is applied andSupervisors may select or deselect privileges on a user-by-user basis.Different Groups can be established to define differing privilegelevels. Groups may have an unlimited number of members and Users maybelong to an unlimited number of groups.

In some embodiments, users can login to the present invention using a228-bit SSL capable browser. Users will enter a ClientID, UserID (e.g.,user email address), and a password. ClientID and UserID should beunique. ClientID and UserID are linked in the client account, meaning avalid UserID cannot be used to login to a Client account for which theUser is not authorized. A password, for example, can be minimum 8characters, case-sensitive, with symbols and numbers allowed to provideadditional security.

In some embodiments, users can self-manage their account profiles,making changes to passwords, email address, other profile information,as well as default preferences for viewing the present invention'sservice information, receiving system alerts, and other communication.Certain changes, such as email and password changes can be confirmed bythe user. For example, the user can confirm the email address change atthe new address and the old email address can be sent a notificationwith the option to stop the change. Password strength can be shown toclient when they establish it. Suggestions to change weak passwords canbe given.

As shown in FIG. 3, each page in the system's 200 Client Interface canhave a top level menu that provides rapid access to some key functions.The Overview tab allows access to the Client Home page (FIGS. 4-8), the“Facilities” tab will show the Facility Management Page and anysubordinate pages (FIGS. 9-11). The Contacts tab can show a list ofclient contacts within the present invention's service. That is, clientstaff, supervisors and administrators with active accounts in theService. The Profile tab shows the user user's account information, mostof which will be editable. The Billing tab shows the current status ofthe client account and billing/payment information. The Billing tab canbe configured to be not selectable by non-Administrators. The Supporttab can take users to the Support Home page, allowing them to viewexisting support requests, trouble tickets, or submit new supportrequests or trouble tickets. (See, FIG. 3)

FIG. 4 illustrates in detail an exemplary Facility Management Page ofthe system 200, according to some embodiments of the present invention.The Facility Management Page is where Supervisors and Staff accessfeatures necessary to configure a facility or building, manage day today operations, set up users, add building systems, mange users &groups, generate and view reports, etc. This can be a primary page thata typical user would visit the most. Staff can also have access to asimilar page within the support application.

FIGS. 5-6 illustrate an exemplary Client Home Page of the system 200,according to some embodiments of the present invention. The Client HomePage can be a “landing page” for all users after they login. Thispresumes they have had their account setup by the initial Administratoror an existing Supervisor. The Client Home Page can have two primarysections, the top part of the page shows a listing of allfacilities/buildings the user has privileges for. This list may begrouped by facility (multiple buildings) or a simple list of buildingswithout grouping by facility. The user would access the operationalcontrol/management feature for a given facility by clicking on the“manage” button to the right of the list, Alternatively, they can accessa specific building or facility by clicking on the facility or buildingname. Clicking on the facility name will bring up the “FacilityManagement” page (as discussed below). The bottom part of the ClientHome Page is a list of recent support requests. These are requestssubmitted by the client. Note that this will list all support requeststhat relate to the privileges of the current user, whether theysubmitted the request or not. If the request was submitted by thecurrent user, clicking the RequestID will bring up an editable listingof the request. If the request was not submitted by the current user,they can view, but not edit the request. Again, the listed requests willbe relevant to the current user. For example, if the current user hasHVAC privileges, they will see all requests related to the HVAC system,but not necessarily see those related to the security system.Supervisors can see all requests.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary Building View Page(s) of the system 200,according to some embodiments of the present invention. The BuildingView Page(s) are where users interact with their building systems. Thesepages are designed to provide easy access to primary information on thestate of a given building system and then make changes as may berequired. Multiple views for listing building data will be available,but the default view will be “by building, system, floor.” What thismeans is the list can be ordered first by building, then by a system(e.g., HVAC, lighting, etc.), then floor, room, etc. As such, alllighting zones by floor in building 2 before those in building 2 areillustrated. Alternate views by building may group items by floor firstor system. Users will eventually be able to select their own preferencefor viewing these lists. Information available in these views caninclude:

-   -   Facility/Building ID—the building and facility currently being        viewed;    -   Control Point—the actual device, zone or process being        monitored;    -   Value—the current value for the Control Point (on/off,        open/closed, temp, etc.);    -   Status—the status of the Control Point (norm, alarm,        transition);    -   Source—the source of the last command for the Control Point        (web, mobile, local, logic, Alarm);    -   Alarm & Event Status—whether or not the Control Point is in an        Alarm state.

In some embodiments, the present invention's software infrastructure canbe responsible for direct communication with building hardware and canbe based on the BACnet or any other web services standard. In alternateembodiments, a LONtalk based router/building or any other type ofprotocol can also be supported. The following description, forillustration purposes only, will refer to BACnet protocol standard. Thisstandard defines the low-level database storage techniques and layoutdefined later (i.e. storage blocks, types, functions, accessrequirements, etc.). The first section below describes the API functionsthat operate on the Servers. These Servers are responsible for settingup communication with building routers and devices, as well as managingthe real-time polling data updates to the database. In some embodiments,a “Data Collection” functionality can be used on existing remoteBuilding Automation Servers. Both BACnet and LONTalk standards define a“Communication Stack” that enables logging of temporal data. Havinglocal existing BACnet and LONtalk servers store “Time Blocks” of thisdata will reduce the transactions necessary on the Servers, thusincreasing performance and scalability. Specific examples of the APIcalls are shown in Appendix.

In some embodiments, the software block HW (hardware) Polling 216 can beresponsible for automated building communication and polling for devicedata. Each device node can have a specific polling frequency (e.g.,temperature gauges every 20 seconds, boiler temperature every 5 seconds,fan speeds every second, etc.). These sampled data may be logged oncustomer building server and streamed every 5 minutes when a clientisn't logged in interactively (present invention's server can beinitiated). HW Polling can also control all event/notificationfunctionality. The “listener” functions can filter all “Events” fromassigned building devices and initiate communication notification(e-mail, IM, phone, cell text messaging, etc.) to registered recipients.The events can be given a priority level 2 being the highest priority.Examples include: Priority 3: Boiler Maintenance Testing, Fuel burn rateabove nominal, etc; Priority 2: Temperature below lowest set point bythreshold margin, Door open longer than time-out period, etc; Priority2: Fuel gauge empty, Water sensor triggered, General alarms; etc.). Alldatabase updates are carried out by this block using the storedschedules for all customer assets. Extensive logs can be created by thisblock to record all transactions with routers, building devices, etc.

The client side 206 can be configured to include a Client Web ServerListener. This software block can be responsible for initiating thepre-fetch processes. When a client logs in, this block automaticallystarts streaming required DB data according to access privileges. It iscontinually updated with live polling data only while a client isactively logged in. Alarm notifications bypass this block and use theirown live server function with appropriate “Notify Lists”.

The Parsing-Communication Functions 218 can directly controltransactions with building hardware. Usually encrypted, there are two orthree blocks that control translation and packet writing/parsing for theBACnet Web Services protocol, LONtalk protocol and an Other block thatwill support custom functions for high profile clients without one ofthe aforementioned standards. In conjunction with the Poller block, allDB write/search functions are included here.

The Hardware API component 215 can be configured to provide a directfunction access used for all Web GUI services. They are served to boththe Personnel Setup GUI 220 as data entry is processed and settingsconfigured. They enable test connections with building routers andpreview of the hardware/system/node hierarchy during the selection ofmanaged components. In anticipation of possible revenue models, monthlyservice fees may be based on the number and type of systems/sensorsbeing managed, and billing support can and should be built into orconnected with this interface where hardware is selected for accessbased on quotas or analogous limits.

In some embodiments, set-up and support GUI 220 can be web based. Thisserves to broaden the access to the present invention's systems bypersonnel in remote locations without the need for installation softwareand dedicated local IT support. All browser-based data communicationwill use industry standard of security features. The Set-up GUI 220allows establishing initial client accounts. This could include billinginformation, initial administrator passwords, contacts, buildinginformation, building specific data such as router IP addresses, portnumbers, building locations, etc. The personnel wouldestablish/initialize communication with the site hardware to verify whatis accessible and what may need onsite authorization by the client'spersonnel. Note that some of this information (contact info, etc.) maybe provided by the Client through the initial online sign-up page. Atthis point, however, setting up an account and configuring a buildingfor monitoring may require personnel, and possibly on-site contractorsto ensure the target building is properly configured. All clienthardware, devices, sensors, etc. would be catalogued with their uniqueidentifiers and built into a database with defined parameters formonitoring and control (e.g., polling frequencies, backup procedures,priority notification list, etc.). In some embodiments, all priority 2messages can be passed to the live prefetch DB server, where the clientadministrator has already set-up the notification list for each“Priority Event”. Notification could be via email, IM addresses, textmessages, voice mail/phone, etc. Portions of this set-up/support UIscreen could be made available to the client administrator for certainself-service tasks, but access to API functions that initiate the DBset-up and polling communication should reside exclusively withtechnicians. Note that after initial set-up Clients will have theability to adjust various monitoring parameters (polling rates, backups,notifications, etc.) through the client web application. The range ofclient adjustment may be limited to ensure system operations don't falloutside various ranges. Since buildings may not support a turn-keyinstallation and ongoing support may require staff access to buildingdetails the Support web application includes a Facilities Managementpage as mentioned above. To access a specific facility, staff may bringup a Facilities Setup/modify page (FIG. 8). This page allows the supportstaff to access the onsite building servers and routers toestablish/ensure proper communication and perform initial configurationof a Client site. FIGS. 9-11 illustrate a selection page for accessing aspecific Node (sensor or control unit within a building), the UI tomodify or configure a selected Node.

FIGS. 12-17 illustrate various reference hierarchies pertaining toparticular Client IDs with regard to system 200 shown in FIG. 2. FIGS.12 and 13 illustrate a client and unit data reference. FIGS. 14-17illustrate facility and node (equipment) data references. Theseschematics illustrate support of large and small client configurations,as well as simplification of auditing, reporting and data analysisoperations. The system can be configured to aggregate data on a perclient basis, per system basis or across virtually any set ofparameters. The goal here is to facilitate global and, if necessary,anonymous data analysis that might be required to produce regional orother large scale analyses (e.g. “Green Rating” for a city).

The following discussion relates to various embodiments implementing thesystems and methods described above and in connection with FIGS. 1-40.

In some embodiments, the present invention relates to monitoring andrecording temperatures of individual refrigeration units that can bedisposed in a building (e.g., a kitchen in a restaurant; a medicalfacility that includes a refrigeration unit that stores medications,medical supplies, or any other items, or any other facility). Thepresent invention can be configured to determine malfunction and/ortemperature variation below designated levels (i.e., a predeterminedthreshold temperature level) and provide immediate notification to acentral control unit and/or assigned personnel so that a correctiveaction can be taken. The notification can be received on an iPod,iPhone, blackberry, cellular telephone, PC, or any other suitabledevice. Such monitoring allows for storage of food items at a propertemperature as well as keeping the food items within safe temperatureranges to avoid food borne illnesses. In case of medical storagefacilities, medications/vaccines or other items are stored and kept atpredefined temperatures in order to maintain their effectiveness andchemical integrity, as required by various regulations. In case oflaboratory settings, various specimens may need to be stored in separaterefrigerators and maintained at a defined level to maintain theintegrity of the specimen until transport.

In some embodiments, the present invention can be configured to bedisposed in a hospital, nursing home, or any other facilities that mayrequire patient monitoring. Such monitoring can be done remotely. Thepresent invention is configured to monitor and relay alarm data to acentral device(s) and/or a handheld device (e.g., iPod, iPhone,blackberry, cellular telephone, PC, or any other suitable device) givento various care professionals and/or staff for immediate detection andswifter reaction time. In some embodiments, the present invention can beconfigured to monitor fall/safety management alarm devices, such as,including but not limited to, bed pad alarms, chair pad alarms, infraredmotion sensor alarms, seat belt alarms, under seat pad alarms, or anyother devices that can be configured to monitor. Such monitoring can beconfigured to ensure faster reaction time by staff that is responsiblefor monitoring these alarms and hence, may prevent fall and/or injury bythe patient that has such alarms assigned to the room.

In some embodiments, the present invention can be configured to relaybuilding/unit alarm data to a central device(s) handheld (e.g., iPod,iPhone, blackberry, cellular telephone, PC, or any other monitoringdevice) by assigned nursing/maintenance/corporate staff for immediatedetection and swift reaction time of security/safety breeches bywandering residents or unauthorized personnel. The present invention canbe configured to monitor door alarm sensors that can be configured to bedisposed on various secured sections of the building (e.g., restrictedentry/exit doors) and provide appropriate notification to handhelddevices to alert staff that is responsible for maintaining security inthe facility. In some embodiments, the present invention can beconfigured to monitor and provide information about: delays in lockingdoors that can be opened for a limited amount of time and at other timesshould remain locked; doors with lock bypass options; exit alarms (e.g.,when a resident or a patient attempts to leave the building byhimself/herself and who may not be allowed to do so unattended). Thisfeature of the present invention can be configured to limit theft,observe and react to any non-witnessed events (i.e., those events thatare not actively being observed by responsible personnel) occurring inboth public and private unit areas, (e.g., day rooms, bath rooms, bedrooms, behind privacy curtains, in hallways, unattended service areas,etc.).

In some embodiments, the present invention can be configured to monitorand relay building/unit alarm data from the hot water mixing values andanti-scald system to a central device's handheld (iPod, iPhone, iPad,blackberry, cellular telephone, PC, or any other monitoring device) byboth onsite and off-site assigned nursing/maintenance/corporate stafffor immediate detection and swift response time of plumbing hot watertemperature malfunctions. Immediate scalding (above 110 degrees Celsius)could occur at resident sinks, tub/shower areas, whirlpools, etc. andtoxic bacteria like Legionella can grow if temperatures are too cool,(149 degrees Celsius). Anti-scalding system alarms may go undetected ordelayed if not located in an accessible area or relayed to staff thatare unfamiliar with how to immediately identify and eliminate immediateharm. The present invention can be configured to monitor various devicesthat detect mixing values and warming system alarms and can be furtherconfigured to immediately notify key personnel when corrective actionsneeds to be taken and the location of the malfunction. In someembodiments, the present invention is configured to monitor alerts whenthe stored hot water falls below the ideal range of 150-160 degreesCelsius and when mixing value failures occur resulting in the residents'hot water mixture being greater than 110 degrees Celsius. Also, in someembodiments, the present invention can be configured to monitor devicesthat generate an alarm when hot water temperature valves malfunction orfails to maintain required temperatures for dishwashing and laundrycycles. In this scenario, various resident and building supervisorystaffs can call to direct or receive feedback on staff's immediateinterventions and resolutions. In some embodiments, the presentinvention can be configured to monitor and measure values of hot watermixing valves on the water tank; alarm(s) on the anti-scald system ifany; point-of-use thermostatic mixing valves. Such monitoring allows forfaster reaction time to the alarms generated by the system in order toprevent resident injuries from non-human created scalding and detectmalfunctions with its exact location as well as tracking anddocumentation of temperature monitoring and verification.

In some embodiments, the present invention can be configured to monitorand relay resident call bell/light service alarms to a central device(s)handheld (iPod, iPhone, iPad, blackberry, cellular telephone, PC, or anyother monitoring device) by assigned nursing staff for immediatedetection and swifter response time in a hospital, nursing home, or anyother medical or non-medical facility. Upon receiving the alarminformation, the appropriate responsible staff (e.g., nurse, attendant,etc.) can see immediately which resident/patient is requesting servicefrom any location on the unit. The staff can communicate with theresident and direct an appropriate staff member to assist the resident.Administrators can determine the timeframe from request onset to taskcompletion for monitoring any individual or an entire shifts' timelytask performance. In some embodiments, the present invention can also beconfigured to monitor time required for a staff member to respond toresident/patient's request; time spent by the staff member with thepatient as a result of the request; and/or any other pertinentinformation. Such information may be useful in tracking and monitoringof service time to address resident/family complaints related to delayedcall bell response times as well as allowing managerial staff to monitortheir subordinates without making lengthy visual observations.

In some embodiments, the present invention can be configured to monitorand relay information to individual caregivers in a hospital, nursinghome, or any other facility and to provide an alarm beacon when apatient is wet/saturated and needs to be changed. Currently, aide staffmust physically examine incontinent garments (diapers, briefs, pads,etc.) to determine if the item requires changing. In some cases, thestandard of practice dictates that this task is to be performed at aminimum every two hours. For mechanical lift residents, this can be timeconsuming and labor intensive to discover the diaper was not wet and didnot need changing. An alarm beacon would sound when the diaper is wet,thus, eliminating the need for this frequent and sometimes unnecessarycheck to be performed. Hence, the present invention can be configured tomonitor alarm devices that are installed in disposable diapers, briefs,or pads that must be checked for change purposes routinely as well asblue chuk pads that are used to catch fluids or prevent moisture fromresting on skin surfaces or soiling bed/furniture/wheelchair cushions.

In some embodiments, the present invention can be configured to monitorand relay information to a central device(s) handheld (iPod, iPhone,iPad, blackberry, cellular telephone, PC, or any other monitoringdevice) by assigned nursing staff that pumps (i.e., enteral orintravenous) that were set for administration have “stopped”. Trackingthe start/end times of feeding and medication administration verifiescompliance that the items were provided. Notification of a “stopped”pump alerts a nurse who may be down another hallway or room that theprocedure is completed for her attention. An unscheduled “stopped” pumpalerts the nurse to a possible malfunction or resident tampering issue.As such, the present invention can be configured to monitor enteralpumps, IV pumps, or any other devices. By monitoring such device, thepresent invention allows nursing staff to be immediately alerted to acompleted feeding or IV medication administration so pump detachment andrequired line management (flushes, etc.) can be provided.

In some embodiments, the present invention can be configured to monitorand relay information to a central device(s) handheld (iPod, iPhone,iPad, blackberry, cellular telephone, PC, or any other monitoringdevice) assigned to staff about all employee movement within thefacility. Supervisory staff can immediately track when employees arriveand leave the resident units. In some embodiments, personnel oversightis minimized when supervisors can track and alert them to tardyemployees who arrive on the resident unit late although they have“punched-in” at the time clock timely or leave significantly sooner than“clocked-out” time. Supervisory staff can also track “break” times aretaken as directed and meal breaks do not exceed the scheduledtimeframes. In some embodiments, the present invention can be configuredto monitor arrival and departure times of staff at change of shifts;arrival and departure times of staff at break and meal times; arrivaland departure times of staff for any reason; or any other times.

In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a computer programproduct stored on a computer-readable medium, for use with a computerconfigured to monitor and control a building/facility, the computerprogram product including computer-readable instructions for causing thecomputer to execute monitoring and control of a building/facility.

Example embodiments of the methods, circuits, and components of thepresent invention have been described herein. As noted elsewhere, theseexample embodiments have been described for illustrative purposes only,and are not limiting. Other embodiments are possible and are covered bythe invention. Such embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled inthe relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. Thus, thebreadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by anyof the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined onlyin accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

1. A system for controlling and monitoring a system within a facility,comprising a facility component including at least one control pointconfigured to be disposed within a facility and to monitor and controlat least one element of the system within the facility; a networkcomponent configured to be communicatively coupled to said facilitycomponent and configured to process information received from said atleast one control point; a remote client component configured to becommunicatively coupled to said network component and configured toprovide monitoring and control of the facility via said networkcomponent and said facility component; wherein said remote clientcomponent is configured to receive processed data from said networkcomponent and generate instructions to said control point via saidnetwork component.
 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein saidfacility component is configured to monitor and control a plurality ofsystems within the facility.
 3. The system according to claim 1, whereinsaid facility component is configured to monitor and control a pluralityof systems within a plurality of facilities.
 4. The system according toclaim 1, wherein the system is characterized by at least one controlpoint configured to communicate data concerning operation of the controlpoint to said remote client component; wherein said network component isconfigured to monitor and control operation of the control node based onthe communicated data based on instructions received from said remoteclient component.
 5. The system according to claim 1, wherein saidnetwork component is configured to include an application serverconfigured to receive and process data from said facility component andto provide said processed data to said remote client component.
 6. Thesystem according to claim 1, wherein the user manually monitors andcontrols operation of the system within the facility via said networkcomponent and said facility component.
 7. The system according to claim1, wherein data generated by the network component is configured to bestored in a first database.
 8. The system according to claim 7, whereinafter a predetermined period of time, the data stored in the firstdatabase is transferred to a second database.
 9. The system according toclaim 8, wherein data stored in the first and second databases is usedto generate at least one report.
 10. A method for controlling andmonitoring a system within a facility using a communications systemhaving a facility component configured to include at least one controlpoint configured to be disposed within a facility and to monitor andcontrol at least one element of the system within the facility; anetwork component configured to be communicatively coupled to saidfacility component and configured to process information received fromsaid at least one control point; a remote client component configured tobe communicatively coupled to said network component and configured toprovide monitoring and control of the facility via said networkcomponent and said facility component; wherein said remote clientcomponent is configured to receive processed data from said networkcomponent and generate instructions to said control point via saidnetwork component, the method comprising the steps of: establishingcommunication between the system within the facility and the networkcomponent; establishing communication between the network component andthe remote client component; receiving information from the userconcerning operation of the system within the facility; using thenetwork component and the facility component, monitoring and controllingoperation of the system within the facility based on the receivedinformation.
 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said facilitycomponent is configured to monitor and control a plurality of systemswithin the facility.
 12. The method according to claim 10, wherein saidfacility component is configured to monitor and control a plurality ofsystems within a plurality of facilities.
 13. The method according toclaim 10, wherein the system is characterized by at least one controlpoint configured to communicate data concerning operation of the controlpoint to said remote client component; wherein said network component isconfigured to monitor and control operation of the control node based onthe communicated data based on instructions received from said remoteclient component.
 14. The method according to claim 10, wherein saidnetwork component is configured to include an application serverconfigured to receive and process data from said facility component andto provide said processed data to said remote client component.
 15. Themethod according to claim 10, wherein the user manually monitors andcontrols operation of the system within the facility via said networkcomponent and said facility component.
 16. The method according to claim10, wherein data generated by the network component is configured to bestored in a first database.
 17. The method according to claim 16,wherein after a predetermined period of time, the data stored in thefirst database is transferred to a second database.
 18. The methodaccording to claim 17, wherein data stored in the first and seconddatabases is used to generate at least one report.
 19. A computerprogram product stored on a computer-readable medium, for use with acomputer configured to monitor and control a system within a facilityusing a communications system having a facility component configured toinclude at least one control point configured to be disposed within afacility and to monitor and control at least one element of the systemwithin the facility; a network component configured to becommunicatively coupled to said facility component and configured toprocess information received from said at least one control point; aremote client component configured to be communicatively coupled to saidnetwork component and configured to provide monitoring and control ofthe facility via said network component and said facility component;wherein said remote client component is configured to receive processeddata from said network component and generate instructions to saidcontrol point via said network component, the computer program productcomprising computer-readable instructions for causing the computer to:establish communication between the system within the facility and thenetwork component; establish communication between the network componentand the remote client component; receive information from the userconcerning operation of the system within the facility; using thenetwork component and the facility component, monitor and controloperation of the system within the facility based on the receivedinformation.